Conference Day 2
8:30 am - 9:00 am
WELCOME AND REGISTRATION
9:00 am - 9:05 am
WELCOME TO CONFERENCE DAY TWO
9:05 am - 9:30 am
OPEN DISCUSSION: ‘If This Was My Studio I Would...’
Darryn Dauth -
Production Director,
EA
We kick start conference day two with an interactive conference-wide game, designed to encourage the sharing of ideas and peer-to-peer learning.
- The room is divided into 6 teams.
- Each team is given a fictional game project 6 months from launch. A sudden capacity crisis is introduced
- Teams have 10 minutes to brainstorm solutions.
- Each team nominates a spokesperson to present their ideas to the room.
9:30 am - 10:15 am
PANEL DISCUSSION: Who Owns the Outcome? Accountability When Things Don’t Go as Planned
Iliyan Garnev -
Lead Producer,
Gameloft
Andrey Vigdorovych - Executive Producer, Former GRIP Studios
In game production, challenges are inevitable. Ambitious features, new mechanics, or evolving storylines can push projects beyond their original plans, leading to missed deadlines, budget overruns, and team burnout.
- Escalation Protocols: How issues are raised and routed to ensure visibility without finger-pointing.
- Decision Ownership: Clarifying who is responsible when key milestones or deliverables are at risk.
- Preventive Measures: How establishing clear accountability upfront can reduce chaos when the unexpected occurs.
10:15 am - 10:45 am
MORNING FRESHMENTS AND NETWORKING
10:45 am - 11:15 am
KEYNOTE: SCALING PRODUCTS IN A 6-MONTH TECH WORLD
Alexander Strandberg -
Executive Producer,
Ex-Ubisoft, Ex-Avalanche Studios Group
AAA game production teams are increasingly operating in an environment where both ambition and volatility are high. Large-scale titles are expected to grow rapidly in scope and fidelity, while the underlying technology stack (engines, middleware, rendering pipelines, platform SDKs, and network architecture) can shift significantly within a matter of months. This creates a persistent production tension: the need to scale products efficiently often collides with the reality of fast-moving technical evolution. In many cases, the tools and systems a team plans around at pre-production are not the same ones they are forced to ship with. As a result, teams must not only build games, but also continuously re-architect the systems that support them.
Join this session as we explore strategies for architecting resilient production pipelines that can be scaled effectively and absorb technological change without derailing schedules
11:15 am - 11:45 am
INTERACTIVE SESSION: 3 LEAN TACTICS FOR DRIVING DOWN DEVELOPMENT COSTS
Andrey Vigdorovych -
Executive Producer,
Former GRIP Studios
A producer's ultimate trifecta is delivering a high-quality game, on time, and on budget. However, between scope creep, tech debt, and shifting market realities, it is incredibly easy for production costs to spiral out of control. Keeping a project financially viable requires proactive strategy, not just reactive firefighting.
11:45 am - 12:45 pm
LIVE Q&A
Andreane Meunier, Senior Director of Production at PlayStation Studios, takes the stage to lead our final interactive session. Taking control of our conference app Andreane will address the top questions submitted by delegates throughout the two-day event.
12:45 pm - 1:45 pm
NETWORKING LUNCH
1:45 pm - 2:15 pm
PANEL DISCUSSION: Managing Up & Navigating Executive Pressure
Wim Coveliers -
Executive Producer,
Tencent
Marek Jusko - Game Producer, Pixel Federation s.r.o.
Nijo Lawrance - Associate Executive Producer, ex-Zynga
For directors, head and senior production executives' pressure is a constant reality. Conflicting priorities, late changes in direction, and the push to ship despite known risks create intense challenges.
- Communicating Risk Clearly: How to raise concerns about scope, schedule, or quality without losing trust.
- Managing Up: Techniques for influencing decisions and aligning priorities amid changing directives.
- Protecting Teams: Ensuring your team can work sustainably, even under pressure, while delivering results.
- Decision-Making Under Pressure: How to weigh short-term demands against long-term success and quality.
2:15 pm - 3:00 pm
CLOSING PANEL DISCUSSION: What’s Next: The Human Centric Pivot
Wim Coveliers -
Executive Producer,
Tencent
Sunitha Kumar Girish - Lead Producer, Creator Experiences, AAA Studio
